


Sun and Shadow

by mdmonday



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, RIORDAN Rick - Works, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, At least not mainly, Friendship, Monsters, Post-The Heroes of Olympus, Snakes, fun times, idk how to tag, this is not a solangelo fic, wholesome content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29053731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdmonday/pseuds/mdmonday
Summary: Nico di Angelo had just settled in at Camp Half-Blood when a dream lures him away on yet another life-or-death adventure. A missing friend and an ancient form of magic threaten to destroy the world, and Nico must learn how to step into the sun without getting burned.
Kudos: 2





	1. Never Shadow Travel While Under Oath

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this story is 100% faithful to the Riordan canon, and 0% faithful to the Ancient Greek canon. Enjoy.

It’s strange to say out loud, but I was no stranger to tumbling out of the sky towards my death.

I’m actually extremely confident in my abilities. My _gifts_ , you could call them. Most of the time, I considered them to be annoying afflictions. I didn’t ask to be unique. I didn’t ask for special powers. I didn’t even ask to be born in the first place. I typically didn’t really see the hype about living. The mortal world did not have a whole lot going for it. Yet as sucky as it all was, the mortal half of me couldn’t bring myself to ignore its plight. Empathy is a disease, I know. But despite my hatred of myself and everything I was, I was actually really good at being, well, me. A big part of being me was using my powers, since the world seemed to be incessantly asking me to. So I’m generally pretty good at that. Except sometimes, I’m not. And yes, it’s again the fault of my mortal half. Like I said, there really is nothing good about this world. And so, is plummeting to my death really such a bad thing? But I digress.

My name is Nico di Angelo. I’m a son of Hades. And this is the time that I fell out of the sky and hit the ground in Memphis, Tennessee.

Allow me to explain myself. I am a child of the Underworld. I have many Underworldly powers, including one that allows me to transport myself via shadows. As someone who does not like to wait, this is quite a convenient resource. However, sometimes it doesn’t go as well as you or I would expect it to.

Let me backtrack. I had just been at Long Island, in my cabin at Camp Half-Blood, and attempted to shadow travel across the country to Amarillo, Texas. Obviously, I didn’t make it and ended up materializing a hundred feet off the ground above Memphis.

It might be important to mention that a few days before that, I made a promise to my friend that I would not shadow travel unless it was an emergency. And that promise had been begrudgingly sworn on the River Styx.

It might also be important to mention that the night before, I had a dream about that friend, who had left for Amarillo. In my dream, this friend had been captured and imprisoned in a cave that I figured was not his grandparents’ house. That seemed to constitute an emergency.

But here’s where things get complicated – lately I had been having…a _number_ of dreams about this friend. A total of zero of them reflected reality. And I’m sorry if I’m not an expert on dreams, but I had a nagging feeling in me that I was just making excuses for myself to go to Amarillo. So when I shadow travelled, I had a moment of hesitation. And if you’ve ever met Styx, which I have, you’d know that she shows no mercy. So next thing you know, I’m falling out of the sky in _not_ Amarillo, to my imminent death.

Just a day in the life, I guess.

I didn’t die, obviously. I told you, this isn’t my first free-fall. Lucky for me, the ground is a good friend of mine. All I really have to do is ask it to catch me and it will. Unlucky for me, I still landed pretty hard in the dirt and nearly knocked myself out. Botched shadow travel was really not fun.

The worst part was that after expending all that energy, I literally could not function anymore. I pulled myself to my feet and looked for the nearest form of civilization. It was early in the evening and the sun was just low enough in the sky to be shining straight in my eyes. As someone who basically lived and breathed shadows, it was quite disorienting. I had landed in a small park in an empty-looking neighbourhood. The only activity I saw was coming from a shady-looking pub across the street. It looked like the ideal place to get stabbed in the gut, but I was fading fast. Every bone in my body ached as I dragged myself over and stumbled through the doors.

“Get me a glass of orange juice,” I muttered as a slumped over the bar. The bartender was a young guy with curly brown hair and thick-framed glasses. He looked at me in confusion.

“Pardon me, how old are you?” he asked. I didn’t have time for this.

“Get…me…a glass…of orange juice…” I said again, through gritted teeth. “ _Please_.” He blinked, a look of unease crossing his face, and then poured me a glass of orange juice. “Thank you kindly.” I may have been fifteen, but I carried around an aura of the Underworld that even mortals were freaked out about sometimes. I tipped the glass of orange juice into my mouth and drained it within seconds. “Another, please.” It wasn’t exactly nectar, but something about the bright colour and freshness of the taste had to have healing properties. After three glasses, I was feeling a bit better. My joints still weren’t running smoothly and I had a raging headache but at least I wouldn’t be losing consciousness in a sketchy bar.

I looked around. It was a Friday night, so there were quite a few people hanging around. A couple old guys were lurking about, trying to prey on young women most likely. A few college students were sharing drinks and chatting. At the back of the pub was a small elevated stage, where a pretty girl was playing guitar and singing. I watched her for a few minutes. She had a nice voice, and was smiling sweetly as she sang. Then she made eye-contact with me and winked. Generally speaking, girls didn’t usually flirt with me. When they did, they were most likely monsters in disguise. Which this one probably was. But I was too tired to get out of there and I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t shadow travel again, not after what had happened. Alas, I sat there with my orange juice, waiting for something to happen.

The song ended. There was scattered applause and a few whistles. “Thank you so much,” said the girl. Her voice was thin and over-enthused, and she didn’t have the thick southern drawl that the bartender did. “You’ve been like, the best crowd I’ve ever seen. Thank you all! I’m Ann Oakland, you can buy my EP on iTunes. Good night!” And she hopped from the stage.

The next few minutes were a bit hazy. I put my head down on the bar because I was dizzy and I’m not sure how much time past. All I know is that I heard that girl’s shrill voice again, only twice as loud because she was right next to me.

“Just a hot tea for me, Patrick, if you don’t mind,” she was saying. “Ugh, you’re such a sweetheart, Patrick. Hush, I’d never forgive myself if you got in trouble with your girlfriend.” I lifted my head slowly. Ann Oakland was sitting on the bar stool next to me, annoyingly chatting up the curly-haired bartender. She had thick medium-length auburn hair with blond highlights circling in perfectly even waves over her shoulders and was batting her lashes in a way that I could already tell won her a lot of free drinks. She was wearing a floral tank top and a long white chiffon skirt that went down to her ankles, and nestled in her hair was a golden hairpin shaped like the letter D. Behind the bar, Patrick was blushing behind his glasses and snuck off into the back after handing the girl a cup of tea. She took a long sip, which was weird because it was clearly scalding hot, and then turned to me.

“So,” she said, smiling in a way that could only be interpreted as frightening. “What’s your name, stranger?” By that point I was more than sure that she was a monster, so I just decided not to engage. I put on my very best I-can-and-will-suck-out-your-life-force face.

“None of your business,” I muttered, turning away. She laughed, clearly unbothered by my deathly aura. That just made her more suspicious.

“Of course,” she said, leaning towards me. “A handsome guy like you has got to be tall, dark, and mysterious.” She propped up an elbow on the bar and rested her head in her hand. “I’m Ann.”

“And I’m out of here,” I said. Two women had just walked through the door. Except they weren’t women. Because they had snake tails instead of legs. Nobody else seemed to notice, but the snake-women looked right at me and I knew I was about to die. Again. I jumped from my seat and scrambled over the bar. Ann Oakland blinked, clearly unsure what was going on. I guess she wasn’t used to guys fleeing from her side like their lives depended on it. The two dracanae started to move faster. I raced through the kitchen, ignoring the shouts from Patrick and bolted out the back door.

It was still light out, and the sun was a blazing ball on the horizon. I raced down the alleyway, squinting to see where I was going. Behind me, the dracanae were hot on my trail, hissing and spitting all the way. I have to admit, I panicked a bit in that moment. I had no idea where I was going, dangerous snake ladies were about to maul me, and my botched shadow travel had basically rendered me inches away from death so I didn’t have much hope in defending myself.

Then, as anyone who knew my luck could have guessed, I hit a dead end.

“It’sssss the end of the line, sssssonny,” said one of the dracanae. She had a short brown bob cut and was wearing a denim jacket with various buttons pinned on the lapel.

“Prepare to have your head sssssevered,” said the other, who had long black hair and wore a Welcome to Memphis t-shirt. I decided at that moment that I hated the south.

I pressed myself against the wall of the brick building behind me. There was nowhere left to run. The dracanae stalked towards me threateningly. _I guess we’re doing this_ , I thought. I pulled out my sword, took a deep breath, and charged.

The dracanae followed suit with their poison-pointed spears. I dodged and swung, aiming for their scaly legs. Brown Bob let out a screech as slashed my sword across her right snake tail. At my other side, Welcome to Memphis jabbed at me angrily. Fighting two monsters at once in close quarters wasn’t a walk in a park. I lasted about half a minute before Welcome to Memphis knocked me to the ground. I lay there, my hands wrapped so tightly around the hilt of my sword that I lost circulation. The dracanae raised their spears, ready to finish the job. And then I heard a familiar shrill voice.

“ _Excuse_ me!” The dracanae whirled around. I squinted harder. I _really_ couldn’t deal with the sun. “How about you nice ladies run along now, and we won’t have any trouble here, mmkay?” It was Ann Oakland. Perhaps she wasn’t a monster after all. The dracanae hissed with laughter. I resisted the urge to join in. At that moment, I figured Ann Oakland was going to die there with me. That was a pretty funny thought. The dracanae charged her. I braced myself, expecting the worst. And then Ann Oakland grabbed her hairpin and ripped it out of her auburn and blond hair. Immediately, it lit up with a golden glow and transformed into a bow. The dracanae stopped, confused. I watched Ann Oakland take a deep breath, and for a split second the sun seemed to burn even brighter in my eyes. And then all of a sudden, the bow burst into brilliant golden flames. The dracanae hissed and retreated, but before they could even blink, blinding flashes lit up the alley as balls of fire flew towards them. As they made contact, the flames engulfed the snakey sisters and within seconds they had turned to ash.

At that moment, my brain decided that that was enough for one day, and I collapsed in a heap on the ground. Perfect timing.


	2. Denny's is the Solution to Everything

I woke up the next morning gasping and thrashing on an air mattress.

As usual, I had no idea how long I’d been out and I had no idea where I was. I sat up so quickly that I nearly collapsed again. It was pretty dark around me, but I could see that I was in some kind of loft. There wasn’t a whole lot there, just a couch and few dusty boxes. An old-fashioned clock hung on the wall. It was barely five in the morning. I groaned. The only time I was awake at five in the morning was when I didn’t sleep at all. I was _not_ a morning person.

I scrambled off the air mattress (which was _not_ easy because it was partially deflated) and ran to the small square window on the far wall. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and a few stray cars drove lazily down the street below me. I could see the park that I had crash landed in the day before, and the pub not too far away.

I thought about my options. I could attempt shadow travel again and risk getting ripped apart or disintegrated. I could also head out into the city and wander aimlessly till I found a ride to Amarillo. I could stop this wild goose chase and go back to Camp Half-Blood. But then there was also the matter of one Ann Oakland.

After doing sweep of the building, I eventually found her up on the roof. She was wearing spandex shorts and a different floral tank top from the one the night before, and was sprawled out on mat in some kind of yoga pose. Her golden bow pin was still nestled in her hair, shining in the light of the rising sun behind her.

It was kind of an ethereal moment. Streaks of pink ran across the dim blue sky like fire, and the rays of light formed a glowing ring around Ann Oakland’s head. For a split second, the air around her seemed to shimmer and I thought I saw the faint image of a dancing lady. Then I blinked, and it was gone like a mirage.

“Oh, hi!” Ann Oakland had opened her eyes and was smiling cheerily at me. Who smiles cheerily at five in the morning? There was something seriously wrong with that girl. “Sorry, just doing my morning routine.” She sat up on her mat and smoothed her blond-auburn hair. “How are you, sweetheart? Feeling better?” Her voice resembled all the girls who made fun of me back when I was in school, and it enraged me. I drew my sword and held it at the ready.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

“I believe I told you who I am,” she answered nonchalantly, shifting into another yoga position. I stalked towards her and thrust my sword to her neck.

“You don’t like an Ann,” I said in a low voice. “So why don’t you tell me you really are? Or _what_ you are?” Ann Oakland didn’t reach for her bow pin. She didn’t try to fight me. She just sat there in the lotus position and blinked at me calmly. Her eyes were blue. Very blue. So blue that they reminded me of…

“You’re a demigod,” I said, backing away. My cheeks were flushed. “You’re a child of Apollo, aren’t you?” She laughed and raised her arms in a stretch.

“You’re smart,” she chirped. “I dig that. Calling a lady a child of Apollo, that’s a line I’ve never heard before. And you’re talking to someone who was hit on by twenty-one different guys at Coachella last year. Trust me, I counted.”

“Could you please say something relevant?” I snapped. “Answer the question!”

“Oh, sweetie, calm down!” she said with a laugh. “Take me out for breakfast, and I’ll give you all the answers you want.”

“I don’t trust you,” I said.

“You boys, always so afraid to commit,” she said with a smirk. “It’s just _breakfast_ , sweetie.”

“Will you _stop_ calling me-” I felt like I was going to have a brain aneurysm.

“You’re hangry,” she interrupted. “Totally understandable. So why don’t you just relax, and we go to Denny’s?”

I didn’t want to go anywhere with her. I just wanted to get to Amarillo. But I was sure she was a child of Apollo. And if she was…it couldn’t have been unrelated, right?

That’s how I ended up at Denny’s. In retrospect, it was a good call. I was starving half to death and still pretty energy depleted from the night before. It felt good to wharf down one of their gargantuan size breakfast combos. Between bites, I interrogated Ann Oakland.

“We’re at Denny’s,” I said. “Now tell me who you are.” She had ordered nothing but a yogurt parfait and was barely touching it. Instead, she watched me eat while batting her eyelashes at me.

“My real name’s Lexie,” she said. “Or Alexa Natalie Nolan, if you wanna get real official. Ann Oakland is my stage name. Makes me sound like an all-natural indie folk star, right?”

“It does _not_ suit you,” I said. “How did you even come up with that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? A.N.N.? Those are my initials. And Oakland is my hometown.”

“Oakland…” I stared at her. “You’re from New Rome.” She smiled brightly, but there was tension at the corners of her mouth.

“Born and raised,” she said, her voice light. “But that’s enough about me. I don’t think I should be spilling my life story to a handsome stranger who’s name I don’t even know.”

I still didn’t trust her. Everything she was saying sounded superficial; I felt like I was talking to a store mannequin. But I had to find out who she was.

“I’m Nico di Angelo,” I said. “I’m a son of Hades.”

“Of course you are,” she said, leaning forward. “A _Greek_ demigod. I’ve never met one of you before.” Her blue eyes twinkled. “Are the Greeks as wild and fun as they say?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said bluntly. “I don’t like parties. Where did you get your bow?”

“Slow down there, Nico. One thing at a time,” she said, wagging a finger at me. “First of all, I’m not a child of Apollo. But my dad is.”

“You’re a legacy,” I said, blinking.

“You really are smart.” She winked at me, which made me deeply uncomfortable. “So he’s technically my granddad. But more importantly, he’s a fan of mine. Came to one of my gigs in San Diego a few years ago and loved me. No surprise there, because who doesn’t? But he loved me so much that he gave me this.” She tapped her bow pin. “Cute, right? It always stays in my hair, and it goes with every outfit.” I stared at the pin, and then back at her blue eyes. Just as I saw in her smile earlier, there was a tension in her voice when she spoke about the bow. As if maybe the fact that she couldn’t get rid of it wasn’t as cute as she let on.

“It lights on fire,” I remarked.

“Sure does,” she said. “It’s sunfire. Convenient solar-powered flame weapon, for all your monster-fighting needs.” She sounded like an infomercial. “And eco-friendly too. Save the turtles!”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” I said, eyeing the bow pin warily. “It must not be used much anymore.” Lexie shrugged her shoulders.

“Hey, when a smoking hot sun god hands you a powerful weapon and _super_ cute accessory, you don’t ask questions.”

“Gods, that’s your _grandpa_ you’re talking about!” She threw back her head and laughed heartily. It was different than how she giggled before. There was an exhilarating energy in her voice that reminded me of Apollo himself. For a legacy, she really seemed to take after him.

“You really are funny, Nico di Angelo,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “You could give Chris Rock a run for his money. And I’ve had lunch with Chris Rock, so you can trust me on that.”

“How old are you exactly?”

“To most people, twenty-two,” she said with smirk. “A legendary age, according to Taylor Swift. But since we’re such good friends now…” She lowered her voice. “I’m seventeen. But no one has to know.”

“You are possibly the sketchiest person I’ve ever met,” I said. “And I used to work with the ghost of King Minos.” I had finished my breakfast. It was time to go. “Lovely to meet you. Now I’ll probably never see you again, so have a nice life.” I pushed my plate away and stood up.

“Hey, hold on now, Nico!” I really should not have told her my name. “You can’t just have breakfast with a girl and not tell her your quest.”

“I’m not on a quest.”

“Of course you are. Stumbling half-dead into gross Memphis pubs? Being chased by monsters? Could you _be_ more conspicuous?”

“It’s none of your business!” I snapped. “And I have to get going. I’m running out of time.” But was I? I wasn’t even sure if there was a quest to be had. And I _definitely_ wasn’t sure if there was a time limit.

“Fine, keep your secrets. But I’ll have you know that I’ve travelled halfway across the country with nothing but ten dollars and my stunning good looks. Tell me where you’re going, and I’ll get you there easy.”

I considered this. I still had no ride, an intense fear of my own shadow travelling, and hundreds of miles to go.

“Amarillo,” I said. “I have to get to Amarillo.”

“Piece of cake,” she said, flipping her blond-auburn hair over her shoulder. “There’s a bus to Oklahoma City from the terminal at the airport. I know a guy who works there. And by _know,_ I mean we used to text, back when I had a cell phone. And I never told him that I got rid of it, so he’s probably still waiting for me to text him back. Anyway _,_ his dad is the Greyhound manager here.” She smiled broadly at my incredulous expression. “Never underestimate a pretty girl’s connections, sweetie. Now, let’s go.”

Next thing you know, I was sitting on a Greyhound bus with Alexa Natalie Nolan, speeding down the interstate towards Oklahoma City.

I wasn’t entirely sure how it happened. We were at the airport terminal, Lexie started talking to a tall blond guy at the ticket booth, he was blushing and running his hand through his hair, and then we were on the bus. I didn’t understand it, but I had a feeling this was how she got a lot of things in life.

I also wasn’t sure why Lexie was coming with me. I didn’t remember inviting her. But after breakfast, she had come out of the loft that I had slept in with her guitar case and a large travel backpack. It contained all of her personal belongings. It was at that point that I realized that she was a vagrant. She didn’t have a home. I empathized with that. Before Camp Half-Blood, I also didn’t have a home. Even after they built a cabin for me (or for my dad or whatever), I still didn’t feel like I belonged there. I flitted between Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, my hometown Venice, and the Underworld. That had always been the way I rolled. I’d save the world if it required saving, but I definitely wouldn’t be part of it. Then I finally made the decision to stay at Camp Half-Blood. And it was a good decision. For about a month, life was a breeze. But then of course, the dream happened.

I pretty much passed out as soon as the bus started moving. Waking up at five in the morning was still a new experience for me, apparently. As I slept, a dream crept into my head. Except it wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. I was sitting on the porch at the Big House, observing the stillness of the camp. It was early in the morning and no one else was up yet. Then there was a rustle of grass as footsteps approached.

 _“You came to see me off. That’s sweet.”_ I didn’t have to look up to know who was speaking.

 _“Did not_ ,” I said, scowling at the ground. Except I did. Will Solace laughed and sat down next to me. I snuck a glance at him. The gentle light of the dawn bounced off his skin and hair, making him glow softly.

 _“It’s just three weeks,”_ he said. “ _I’ll be back in a flash. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”_

 _“I’m sure I won’t_ ,” I said. Except I would. I turned my head away to hide my flushed cheeks. Will just chuckled and leaned back against his hands.

 _“I’m glad you decided to stay here,”_ he said to me. _“It’s nice to have you around.”_

 _“Well, you basically forced me,”_ I said, _“Confining me to the infirmary all those days, yelling at me every time I tried to use my powers. I couldn’t leave if I tried.”_

_“I stand by that. Listen to your doctor, Nico. Take care of yourself.”_

_“I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life.”_

_“Poorly, though.”_ To my surprise and embarrassment, he reached out and pressed his fingers to my face. _“You really ought to consume more iron. Get some colour in these cheeks.”_ I swatted him away angrily.

“ _Shouldn’t it be time to get going?”_ I said coolly.

 _“Yes, but before I go, I need you to do something_.”

 _Anything_ , I thought. But I kept my mouth shut.

“ _You need to take it easy with your powers. You’re a lot better now than before, but shadow travelling…”_ He shook his head. _“It’s really risky, Nico.”_

 _“I’m fine,”_ I snapped. But a chill ran over me as I thought about how it felt to be fading into the shadows. Not fun.

“ _I know you’re powerful.”_ Will’s voice was gentle and kind, and I felt my stomach twist with jitters. “ _But please Nico, just listen to me. Promise me you won’t shadow travel while I’m gone.”_

_“What if it’s an emergency?”_

_“Fine, if it’s an emergency, you can do it. But no spontaneous visits to the Underworld or Olympus or wherever you like to run off to.”_

_“Boy, what am I going to do without you?”_ I said sarcastically.

“ _Nico, I’m serious. Swear on the Styx. I don’t want anything happening to you.”_ His blue eyes were filled with concern. “ _Please. Do it for me_.” My throat felt like it was closing in. I wanted to run away from the situation but Will’s gaze was captivating.

“ _Fine_ ,” I said at last. “ _I swear on the Styx that I will not shadow travel while you’re gone unless it’s an emergency. You hear that, Styx?”_ I raised my voice a bit. “ _I swear it!”_ Will relaxed, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

“ _I’ll miss you, Nico_ ,” he said quietly, putting a hand down on my shoulder. A horn honked in the distance. I couldn’t bring myself to speak, and in the next moment, he was gone.

I woke up with a start, flushed and angry. A sign passed by the window that said _Welcome to Little Rock_. Next to me, Alexa was watching me idly, holding an open notebook in her lap and a pen in her mouth. She was leaning against the window of the bus, and the mid-morning light enveloped her wild mop of blond-auburn hair and golden bow pin. With a pang in my chest, I realized how much she reminded me of Will.

“Stop staring at me!” I snapped.

“I’m not _staring_ ,” she said serenely. “I’m just observing. Since you won’t tell me your quest, I have to deduce it myself.”

“So you’re psychoanalyzing me,” I said. “That’s much better.” She rolled her eyes. I noticed she wasn’t all giggles and flattery anymore.

“Please don’t tell me this is one of those ‘save the beloved maiden’ quests,” she said. “The last thing the world needs is another Troy.”

“A Homer reference? Are you sure you’re a Roman?” She looked pleased that I understood.

“I’m a songwriter,” she said. “I take inspiration from everywhere. And Homer was a son of Apollo, you know. We’re basically siblings.”

“Right,” I said. “So why’d you leave New Rome?”

“Don’t think I don’t see you dodging my questions,” she warned me. “But have you _been_ to New Rome? Sure, it’s nice and cozy. But senate meetings, straight lines, and a book of laws as big as your head? Hello, have you _met_ me?” I had to admit, her theatrical flair was quite amusing. “I’m much more of a ‘road less traveled by’ kind of gal. So I left home, and now I go wherever I want and only do things I love. No rules, just open roads, singing songs, and chasing the sun.” She sighed and leaned back in her seat. “It’s the good life.”

I looked at her carefully. Her world sounded so idyllic, almost like it was lifted from a teen movie. I had a hard time believing it was real. I remembered all the time I had spent hiding in shadows and dodging everyone who cared about me. It was definitely _not_ the good life. I thought about Will again and my fingers started fidgeting.

“My friend, Will,” I said quietly. “I had a dream that he was in trouble. He left to visit his grandparents in Amarillo a few days ago and I hadn’t heard from him since. In my dream, he was imprisoned in some kind of cave. I couldn’t tell where he was. There were a few dracanae there, but that’s all I could see.”

Lexie didn’t look surprised. “So we’re going to rescue your friend. That’s cool. You could’ve just told me, you know.”

I thought about my other dreams, and how I wasn’t sure if I had just formed this one in my unconscious or not. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.

Luckily, I didn’t have a chance. Because all of a sudden, the bus was hit with a _boom_ and began to shake. Passengers screeched. I instinctively reached for my sword. Lexie looked out the window.

Another crash. I hung onto the seat in front of me for dear life.

“Uh oh,” said Lexie. “Snake hags at three o’ clock.” I didn’t need to be told twice. Before I could do anything, another collision occurred. The bus lurched, swung, and fell over on its side. I lost my grip on the seat and fell hard onto the opposite wall.

Through the broken windows climbed three new dracanae, spears gripped and ready to send us straight to Hades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lexie Nolan is inspired by the lovely Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek.


	3. Welcome to Little Rock

Alexa pulled me up out of a pile of duffel bags and suitcases. “Quick,” she urged me. “Through the window.” I was pretty sure that I had broken a few bones but there was no time to confirm. We climbed up onto the seats and pulled ourselves through the bus windows, which were now above us. The sky had suddenly changed from sunny and blue to a threatening storm-grey. I caught a glimpse of venti swooping through the air.

With her strappy wedge-heel sandals in her hand, Lexie leaped from the top of the bus onto the road, and I followed suit. Unfortunately, there were even more dracanae surrounding the bus. After the big breakfast and the nap, I was feeling energized and ready for some deadly action. With a yell, I pulled up energy from the ground and five skeletons broke the surface. “Get them,” I commanded quietly. The skeletons advanced on the dracanae, swinging swords and daggers. Lexie grabbed my wrist and we ran for our lives.

We were at the outskirts of a city, which I assumed would have been the first stop for the bus. So much for that plan. The skeletons held off the dracanae for a few minutes, but soon they were hot on our trails again. Lexie was running barefoot on the tarmac, guitar in one hand and sandals in the other. She was resilient, that was for sure, but I knew we wouldn’t be able to go much longer.

“We have to fight them,” I gasped breathlessly. She frowned as if I had said we had to write a multiple-choice exam.

“I hate that,” she said. I wasn’t sure if it was the exhaustion or the fear of death, but her voice sounded dramatically different. I turned around and summoned more skeletons, but I knew they would be the last. Then I drew my sword and attacked.

Even with the skeletons on our side, it was a pretty even match. As we fought, torrential rain began to fall. The venti were taking no prisoners that day. I swore and slashed at our monster foes. The dracanae were stronger and more flexible, but I was smaller and faster. Just like before, I aimed for their legs with my sword, trying my best to get them to ground. I stabbed one of them, a brunette wearing a knit sweater, and she dissolved into dust. Next to me, Lexie’s bow blazed at full size, but instead of shooting fiery arrows, she was whacking the dracanae with what I would consider some pretty decent sword fighting technique.

“Take that! You ugly! Hag!” she yelled, slashing her bow in rhythm with her words. “Die!” The flames scorched the dracanae, but none of them were incinerated like the ones the night before. I realized that it didn’t work so well when the sun wasn’t out.

Despite our best efforts, we were fading fast and drenched to the bone. The skeletons turned into piles of bones and the remaining dracanae were still going hard. I could feel myself being drained and my swings were getting slower. Through all the fighting, Lexie made eye contact with me. _Run_ , she mouthed. Her blue eyes were fierce and intentional. She had a plan.

I broke away from the dracaena I was fighting and started down the road again. I heard a screech behind me and turned around. Where we had just been fighting, the tarmac was engulfed with flames. Despite the freak rainstorm, the flames were not extinguished. The dracanae stomped and flailed their arms to try to get through. Lexie was running towards me, her face pale. I grabbed her guitar and we took off once again into the city.

“We need to get out of this rain,” Lexie gasped. Her blond-auburn hair was flattened to her face. “They’re going to be after us pretty soon.” My mind raced. I was cold and wet, and I couldn’t think straight.

“Where are we again?” I yelled, exasperated.

“Little Rock!” she yelled back. “Capital city of Arkansas!” Little Rock…why did that name sound so familiar?

“Oh,” I said. “I know someone who lives here.”

“You do?!”

“Yes.” Along the road, a bus was pulling up to a stop. “Quick, get on!”

We rode the bus all over the place to shake off the trail of the dracanae, but eventually we ended up at the worst place in the city – the college campus.

We stood in front of a large sign that said University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of it. Next to me, Lexie scratched her head.

“Nico, I love flirting with college boys as much as the next person, but don’t we have other places to be?”

“We can take shelter here,” I said. “Until the storm passes.”

“Oh, of course,” she laughed. “The stench of the college boys should mask our scent from the dracanae. I spent a whole week in college dorms at USC last year. It was _torture_ , but the parties were really something else-”

“Lexie,” I snapped. “Less talking, more getting out of the rain.”

“Oh, relax. Hi, excuse me!” Before I could protest, Lexie was waving wildly at a group of boys hurrying by. They stopped and turned towards us, suddenly looking interested. “Hi, _so_ sorry to bother you all. We were just wondering if you could tell us where the dormitories are.” One of them, a tall guy with white-blond hair who looked a little like Jason Grace shifted his eyes between her and me.

“This guy bothering you?” he asked. His voice was low and sounded as if he was figuratively flexing his biceps.

“Oh, no,” she said, batting her eyelashes. Even though she was soaking wet, her makeup didn’t run. “He’s just along for the ride.” I scowled but didn’t say anything. “We’re just here visiting a friend. And to have a good time.” She winked at him. Damn, she was good. Next thing you know, the boys were ushering us into a drab looking building.

“These are the freshman dorms,” said College Jason. “Girls on that side, boys on this side. But there’s a shared common in the basement where everyone hangs. We can take you there.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” said Lexie. “So what are all your names?”

“I’m Nate. That’s Steven, Carver, and Rohan.” The other boys looked disgruntled that they were not able to introduce themselves.

“We’re all on the track team,” Steven piped up. “We just came from practice, actually.”

“Ooh, we’ve got a bunch of athletes here.” Lexie smiled sweetly but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. I could tell she was tired. We headed down a musty staircase into a large common area. Colourful couches lined the walls all the way around and a few ancient looking game tables sat in the middle of the room. The room was swarming with college students, some gathered at tables with books or board games, others playing ping pong, and a few passed out on the couches. Somehow, the whole scene bore an uncanny resemblance to the Fields of Asphodel.

“Yo, Nate, who’s your friend?” I turned to see a few boys approaching us. Before I knew it, they had crowded us into a corner. It was only slightly less terrifying than the dracanae. I pressed my back against the door behind me while Lexie did her best to entertain the boys, who were accosting her with questions.

“Are you cold? Here, take my jacket.”

“Is that a guitar? I play guitar too, you know.”

“Have you heard the new Fall Out Boy album? I’ve got it on vinyl, wanna go listen in my room?”

“Why don’t you play us something right now?”

Suddenly, the door that I was desperately trying to phase through flew open and I fell to the ground. The boys were whisking Lexie over to the ping pong table, eager to show her how they would each outmatch each other. She gave me a worried look over her shoulder and I waved her off.

“Well, well, well, well, well.” I looked up to see the door opener standing over me. “Nickle di Angelo, as I live and breathe.” It was a boy with curly brown hair wearing a UALR sweatshirt.

“Travis Stoll,” I said, scrambling to my feet. “Just the man I was looking for.”

“What do you need?” he asked. “Breaking or entering?” Travis Stoll was the master of the poker face, but he still looked a bit shocked to see me. I suppose that once you leave Camp Half-Blood, you don’t except quite as much craziness.

“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. “We can go to my room. My roommate has been temporarily relocated. Apparently he found cockroaches in his bed.” He shrugged. “Super weird.” I rolled my eyes. Travis, son of Hermes, was an old cabinmate of mine. He was the king of lying, cheating, and having fun at the expense of others. He was also, uncoincidentally, a business student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I knew this because a few weeks ago, we had a going away party for him at Camp Half-Blood. Travis had been a camper for many years, and the fact that he was actually going to do something with his life other than put buckets of water on top of open doors was an inspiration to us all.

I followed Travis up the stairs into a tiny double dorm room. There were two beds stretched out along the walls, paired with small wooden desks and chairs that looked like they should have been retired twenty years ago. Surprisingly, the room was not a disaster. Travis’s bed was hastily made and most of his clothes were thrown on the empty, assumedly cockroach-infested bed on the opposite wall. He had a complex PC setup on his desk and a pile of textbooks scattered on the other desk. It didn’t seem like his roommate would be coming back anytime soon. I sat down hesitantly on his bed, praying to the gods that no cockroaches had passed over to this side of the room. Travis flopped down into his chair and popped a piece of gum into his mouth.

“Don’t look so nervous, di Angelo,” he said, tossing me a towel. “This is safe space.”

“Any place where you’re present is not a safe space,” I retorted. “Gods, I don’t know how those college boys haven’t beat you up behind the dumpster yet.”

“Oh, little Nico,” he said with a toothy grin. “These mortals couldn’t do a thing to me if they tried. By the way, check this out.” He opened up a program on his computer and turned on his speakers. “I set up an antenna on the roof of the hall to pick up signals from the gods. And I hit the jackpot.” He pressed a button, and suddenly a familiar voice came out of the speakers.

“Is that…Frank Zhang?”

“Yessiree. Live feed from the Senate at Camp Jupiter. Neat, right?”

“But…how?”

“Nico, pranks are not the only thing I’m good at. I’m currently working on some cool gadgets to keep people connected, inspired by the ones that our favourite psychopath demon brother used back in the good old Titan War.” He patted the top of his PC. Frank had stopped speaking and now an unfamiliar female voice had taken over. It was clear and commanding and sounded a bit older than most of the people I knew from the Legion.

“Knock, knock.” I turned my head to see Alexa standing in the doorway. “Oh, thank goodness it’s you. I keep busting into random rooms…” Her voice trailed off and she suddenly looked a bit pale. “I mean…” She let out a disconcerted laugh. “I thought maybe you’d run off on me or something.”

“Great,” I said as she came inside. “Travis, this is Lexie. Lexie, Travis. You both don’t need to know anything about each other.”

“Hi,” said Travis, blinking. I wasn’t sure whether he was stunned that there was a girl in his room or that girls even still tolerated being around him.

“Hi,” said Lexie, giving him a strange look. She seemed too tired to flirt at that point. “What with the, ah, AM broadcast?”

“It’s from Camp Jupiter,” I said. “Travis set it up.”

“Oh,” she said. Her voice sounded small, and she yawned exaggeratingly. “Senate meetings, what a snooze. Turn that off before I fall asleep on you all.” Travis quickly closed the program. “Thank you kindly. Do you have a hair dryer?”

“Do I?” Travis pulled open one of many drawers beneath his desk. “Take your pick.” Lexie went over and pulled out a gadget that did not look much like a hair dryer.

“This is a Dyson Supersonic,” she said, looking surprised. “Why do you have this?”

“Can’t a guy a care about his hair?”

“You stole it, didn’t you?” I snapped.

“Course not,” said Travis, grinning. “I just like to be prepared.” From the drawer, Lexie pulled out a large curling iron and a round hairbrush.

“I’m not going to ask,” she said, and stalked over to the full-length mirror that hung near the door.

“She seems cool,” said Travis in a low voice. “You pick her up from the Underworld?”

“Shut up, Stoll.”

“Relax, Death Boy. What are you all doing out here anyway? Is this freak storm your doing?”

“Who do you think I am, Zeus? It’s obviously the work of venti.”

“Uh huh. And what exactly are venti doing in Arkansas?”

I swallowed hard. “Probably looking for me.”

“Of course,” said Travis. “Same old trouble.”

“We just need a place to hide until it’s over,” I said. “Then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“We’re on a rescue mission,” said Lexie. She had finished drying her hair at an alarming rate and was now styling it.

“Oh boy, who is it this time? Is it Sherman Yang? Please tell me it’s Sherman.”

“It’s Will.”

Travis threw back his head and laughed. “Of _course_ it’s Will. I should have known you were going after Golden Boy Solace.” I scowled, my face turning red. A few feet away, Lexie was expressionlessly pulling the curling iron through her hair. I quickly explained to Travis what had happened to our bus.

“Oh sure, there are a ton of buses to Oklahoma City,” he said. “But I’m not sure they’ll be running considering that there’s a tornado warning. He gestured to his computer screen, which was now displaying the weather forecast. “Why don’t you two stay here for the night? I’m sure the venti will be on their way soon enough.”

Lexie sighed. “And here I thought I was going to be playing a gig in Dallas tonight.”

“Nobody asked you to come,” I reminded her.

“Yes, but now I’m _invested_.” She said it in the same way that most people would say that they have the bubonic plague.

“I can get you a gig,” said Travis. We both turned to stare at him. “What? I’ve got connections. The Sugar Gliders, they’re a popular local band. They’re playing tonight at the Clio Club tonight and they just lost their opener. Crazy flu or something.” He shrugged and I stared at him, incredulous. “Anyway, I could get you in.”

For a second, Lexie looked a little stunned. But she shook it off quickly and smiled broadly. “Um, yeah, okay. Sure, I guess I could put a little something together for tonight. It’ll be totally unrehearsed though, kind of like an impromptu, y’know, authentic one-take kind of thing.”

“I’m loving it already,” said Travis, pointing finger guns at her. He bore such an uncanny resemblance to Hermes sometimes, it was almost frightening. “And so will most of my class. Justin McCann is the lead singer of The Sugar Gliders and he’s also the VP of the Business Students Society. And he’s the president of Alpha Phi Alpha. They’re a big deal around here.”

“You’re part of Greek Life?” I asked him.

“Me? No,” he snorted. “My whole life is Greek Life. I don’t need any frat boys hazing me to tell me that. Anyways, I should probably make some calls. Make yourselves at home. Sound check is at 7.”

“Thank you, Travis,” Lexie chirped, giving him a dazzling smile. He gave her a funny look and stepped out of the room. “He’s full of surprises.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I warned her. “Stay here and don’t touch anything. I need to be alone.”


	4. The Clio Club Has Horrible Security

I sat curled up on a windowsill in a stairwell somewhere near the top of the building. Outside, clouds swirled in the rapidly darkening sky and the roar of the downpour drowned out the voices of any passing college students. I hated venti, but I had to admit, I didn’t mind the stormy weather. It was far less harsh and blinding than the sun.

 _I need answers_ , I thought. _We’ve come too far to turn back now. I need to know what’s going on_. With the sound of the rain filling my mind, I fell into a deep sleep and found myself standing in a rocky desert. A strong gust of wind nearly blew me off my feet, but I centered myself and felt it blow right through me.

Then I saw Will. Or so I thought. Dust was flying through the air, making it difficult to recognize who exactly it was. I blinked, and for a second I thought I might have been looking at Apollo. The sun was beating down over the rocks, and the wind grew stronger by the second. I felt a wave of dread wash over me and tried to scramble my way towards the figure. The dryness and dust in the air started to irritate my throat. I tried to shout, but nothing came out. In front of me, what might have been Will was glowing under the light of the sun, the rays cutting through the dust like a knife. Then suddenly, the figure burst into flames.

The flames spread rapidly over the desert, engulfing everything they touched, and heading straight for me. I turned and ran for my life, but it was no use. I could feel my skin cracking under the heat, my bones drying up, my entire body withering away. I was dying. As I started to lose consciousness, I suddenly spotted the figure again. It was closer now, and completely surrounded by flames, but it was glowing so brightly that the fire looked dim in comparison. I watched as it raised a large iridescent bow into the air. With my last ounce of energy, I croaked “Apollo?” But as the figure turned towards me, blazing with fire and light, I could see that it wasn’t Apollo. It was the unmistakable silhouette of Alexa Nolan.

I woke with a start, gasping for breath and nearly falling off the windowsill. Outside, the wind and rain had slowed from tornado levels to regular thunderstorm levels. A good sign. I took a few deep breaths, willing for my heart rate to go down. What _was_ that dream? Was it a vision of the future? Or was it just another manifestation of my annoying subconscious? I was sure I had seen Will, and maybe Apollo. But Alexa? What was she doing there? As I hopped from the windowsill and headed down the stairs, I couldn’t have been more confused. There was a lot to think about. But first, I had a concert to go to.

The Clio Club was a mid-sized standing music venue with a full-service bar. It was twenty-one plus. I was fifteen years old. Lexie was seventeen. Travis Stoll was eighteen. I knew Lexie and Travis were both pretty good at weaseling their way into things, but I had to doubt the legitimacy of the bar security. Especially because I got to the front of the line just to see that the bouncer had, well, bounced. I walked in, confused that no one was stopping me. A lady even smiled at me as I walked past. As I entered the floor, I found myself once again surrounded by college students. Clumps of people were scattered across the floor, sharing drinks and talking loudly. Heavy synth played from the speakers next to a three-foot-tall stage decked out with spotlights and large sound table. It was quite a bit more legit than the greasy pub in Memphis. The Sugar Gliders must have been the real deal.

I spotted Travis and Lexie standing near the stage. Lexie had changed into a long high-waisted sunflower-print skirt and a white cropped tank top, and her guitar was strapped onto her back. She was smiling and nodding as Travis spoke, but her eyes were looking blankly out into the crowds of people.

“Hey, Nico, you made it.” Travis patted my on the back as I walked up to them. “Good on you.” I rolled my eyes.

“The storm seems to be calming down,” I said. “We shouldn’t have too many problems getting out of here.”

“One thing at a time, Nico!” said Lexie. “Don’t stress me out right before I have to go on. A performer’s gotta keep her mind _clear_.” She dramatically mimed wiping away her thoughts.

“Right,” I said. “I don’t think there’s much clearing to do there.” She laughed that exhilarated laugh.

“You’ve got spunk, Nicky Darkness,” she said, slinging an arm around me. “I’m glad I’ve got you for support.” I shoved her off, embarrassed.

“Oh, there he is.” Travis was pointing towards some boys over by the bar. He waved his hand in the air. “Hey, Justin!” One of the boys waved and started to walk over to us. He was tall and noticeably handsome, with gelled back brown hair and deep brown eyes. Heads seemed to turn as he walked through the crowd, and he grinned and greeted people all around him. I didn’t mean to stare, but I couldn’t help it. I don’t think anyone could help it.

He smiled at me as he approached and reached out to shake my hand. “Hey man, how’s it going? I’m Justin.”

“Uh,” I said.

“Justin, this is my friend Nico. He’s visiting from New York,” said Travis, shooting me a look that said _don’t embarrass me._

“Pleasure to meet ya, Nico,” said Justin kindly. He had a gentle Southern drawl that reminded me of Will. But apparently a lot of things were reminding me of Will. “Welcome to Little Rock. Thanks for coming out to support.”

“No…thank you.” I struggled to regain my composure. “So…what kind of music do you play?”

“Glad you asked,” said Justin. “We play a unique fusion of modern alternative rock and authentic Cajun from the swamps of New Orleans. I’m from Louisiana, y’see.” He leaned in closer, as if he were divulging a secret. “Always somethin’ special to stay close to your roots.”

“Cool,” I said. “Sounds really…different.” Justin laughed.

“You’ve got that one right,” he said. “Hey, come find me after the show and I’ll buy you a drink. Always good to have guests around.” He patted my shoulder and I felt my face flush. “You ready to get this show on the road, little lady?” he said to Alexa.

“Yessir,” she said.

“Alrighty, then,” he said. “Travis, Nico, enjoy the show, my friends.” I found myself watching him walk away.

“Snap out of it, di Angelo.” Travis snapped his fingers in my face, startling me. “He’s a senior. Besides, what would Solace say?”

“Shut up!” I snapped, turning away. Annoyingly, I knew what Will would say. _You’ve got a thing for confident, heroic types, don’t you, di Angelo? Don’t lie to me, I can see your eye twitching_. And then I would choke on my own words and open up the ground to swallow me up. I felt my stomach churn with unease. There was a chance that a situation like that would never happen again.

On the stage, Justin introduced Alexa, and then disappeared into the dark as the lights dimmed. Lexie stepped up to the microphone, smiling brightly at her audience, who clapped and cheered.

“Hi y’all,” she said, her voice sweet like syrup. “I’m Ann Oakland.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m so excited to be playing in the Clio Club today because Clio is one of the Nine Muses in Greek Mythology.” A few scattered whoops went up. Travis and I exchanged glances. “So I’m gonna sing y’all a song inspired by the Muses. It’s called ‘Hymn to Hollywood.’”

The crowd hushed as she began to sing. My eyes, which had been rapidly scanning the room for Justin McCann, stopped to watch. Her voice was clear as water, rippling out over the musty club and changing puddles of spilled beer into pools of gold. The spotlight hit right where her bow pin was sitting on her head, emitting a golden glow that seemed to warm up the whole room. I grinned. She really did take after Apollo. Her lyrics twisted around us like a winding stream. She sang about music in the streets of Los Angeles, poetry on the park benches, artwork in the back alleys, and histories in the store fronts. If Homer and Hesiod had been there, I’m sure they would have been jealous.

The crowd went wild as the song ended. How could they not? Alexa may have been a pain in the butt, but she knew how to put on a show. As her performance continued, she sang about her travels and adventures, and I picked up bits and pieces of Greek influence here and there. Which was interesting, considering her Roman roots, but I didn’t think much of it. I was enamored by her poetic expression. Words sounded different coming out of her mouth. Like they meant more than they usually did.

Just when the show was getting really good, Alexa’s eyes suddenly flickered. She looked at me quickly, a panicked expression on her face. I whirled around to see a group of dracanae push their way into the club. I cursed and elbowed Travis, who looked startled. Apparently he had been really into the music too. “I don’t think they were on the guest list,” I said quietly.

“Oh,” said Travis. A look of mischief crossed his face. “Here we go.”

Before either of us could do anything, one of the dracanae shoved a mortal student the ground, and the chaos commenced. Screams rang out as the crowd pushed and shoved, trying to get away. The dracanae hissed and whacked people with their spears, trying to get towards the front. I couldn’t imagine what that looked like to the mortals.

“They’re here for us,” I said. “We’ve gotta get out of here.”

“Take the back door,” said Travis, pointing behind the stage. “I’ll meet you out there.” Lexie was already running down from the stage, and we headed towards the back of the venue.

“Why are we always running when I’m wearing heels?” she huffed as she snatched her backpack and guitar case from off the floor. I grabbed the backpack from her as she fumbled to put her guitar away. We burst through the back door into a lit hallway. Unfortunately, there were three dracanae waiting for us. I groaned. This was really getting old. Lexie whipped out her bow and tripped up one of them as it ran towards us. I stabbed its gut with my sword as it fell.

“Get to the door!” I yelled. We rushed the exit, and the remaining dracanae simultaneously charged us. One of them slashed at Lexie, cutting a gash into her shoulder. She yelped and dropped her bow. I lunged forward and managed to decapitate the dracaena. But I left myself open, and the last dracaena knocked me to the ground and extended its spear. I shut my eyes, preparing for the worst. And then, I heard a dull _thud_ and opened my eyes just in time to see dust fall over the tile floor. The dracaena was gone. In its place stood the lady who had smiled at me earlier. She wore a red 1930s style button dress (I should know, I’m from the 1930s), and a short blond curls that swept to one side. In her arms, she held a giant book that looked like an encyclopedia. I blinked at her, shocked. Next to me, Lexie was holding her shoulder and looking very frightened.

“Clio?” I said, my voice small.

“Yes, my dear,” said the lady kindly, but she was looking at Lexie, not me. “I don’t much like monsters in my symposiums.” We continued to stare at her. “Well, off you two go now. There’s no time to spare. Those other abominations will be along shortly."

“Wait,” said Alexa breathlessly. “You’re _the_ Clio?”

“Whose club did you think this was?” Clio tilted her head at us. Her eyes were deep brown, kind of like Justin McCann’s. I suddenly realized I wouldn’t be able to get that drink from Justin. Not that I wanted it. Okay, maybe I wanted it a little. “You did a wonderful job, dear, I haven’t heard such thrilling stories around here since Johnny and June.” Lexie turned bright red and seemed to have nothing to say for the first time. I turned to Clio.

“Do you know why the dracanae are after us?” I demanded.

“Dracanae…” she mused. Her brown eyes seemed like they were looking into a different plane of existence. “You’ve heard of Python, yes? Echidna. Delphyne. Riveting stories. Slaying serpents never seems to go out of style. They just keep coming back, you see. But historically speaking, you cannot defeat dracanae unless you take them out at their source.” Her eyes returned to look at me. “I suppose you’ll find what you’re looking for as well. Two birds with one stone! Or perhaps, even three. It’s most commonly two, but that’s a story for another time.” She smiled at us. “I must go now. And so do you.” She opened the door for us and I realized that the rain had stopped. The sky was clear and a few stars glimmered faintly over the city lights. “Do come around again.” She was looking at Lexie again. “It would be wonderful to exchange stories.” Lexie nodded, still looking shaken, and we ran out the door.

Travis was standing out back, his shirt slightly ripped up. “About time,” he said. “I got you a ride.” He held out a set of car keys to me. I stared at him. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, di Angelo. Just bring it back when you’re done.” Behind me, I heard footsteps clambering through the hall. We were out of time. I grabbed the keys.

“If we get arrested for this, Stoll…”

“You underestimate me, little Nico. Oh, and one more thing.” He held out a card to Lexie, who took it hesitantly. “Call me if you need me,” he said. Lexie blinked, but before she could respond, Travis dashed off into the building. “Get out of here!” he yelled over his shoulder. I grabbed Lexie’s arm and we ran for the parking lot.

“You know how to drive, right?” I yelled.

“Don’t make me laugh, my lungs are already collapsing,” she replied. I couldn’t tell what that meant, but she grabbed the keys from me and started clicking. A white sedan in the corner lit up. I had no idea whose car it was, but we didn’t have time to care. Lexie threw her belongings into the back and scrambled into the driver’s seat. I took shotgun, slamming the door shut. For a split second, everything was still.

“Alright,” said Lexie. “Next stop, Oklahoma City.”


	5. The Ballad of Alexa Nolan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The Ballad of Alexa Nolan was one of the tentative titles for this fic. In the end I went with Sun and Shadow because who the heck is Alexa Nolan, right? (no seriously, who is she)

Once the adrenaline and panic wore off, we actually had a decent time on the drive. Other than the fact that she was going nearly ninety miles per hour, Lexie was a pretty good driver.

There was a lot that I had to process. The dream from earlier that day and what Clio had told us were bothering me to no end. Next to me, Lexie had turned on the radio and was bobbing her head, but not singing along. I thought about discussing everything with her, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“You’re awfully quiet,” I said. Despite everything, she was still smiling brightly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of us.

“Um, it’s been a _long_ day, Nico,” she said. “I’m just trying to like, turn my brain off for two seconds.”

“When was it ever on?”

“You should really be nicer to me, you know. I’ve saved your butt _multiple_ times by now.”

“Whatever. Where’s that card Travis gave you? You gonna call him?” She pulled the card out of her pocket and handed it to me.

“I don’t see how I could,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “I don’t have a phone.”

“Travis M. Stoll,” I read aloud. “Creator, innovator, entrepreneur. There’s no number on here. It just says ‘Call the Stoll-Free-Line.’” I laughed. “That’s funny. And there’s a fingerprint.” I pressed my thumb onto the card, and it lit up with a soft blue glow. Startled, I dropped it on the floor. The glow disappeared.

“Savvy,” Lexie noted. “Reminds me of the time I was in Portland and a guy gave me instructions for a summoning ritual to get a hold of him.”

“That…sounds like it might have been a monster.” At the word _monster_ , her eyes clouded over.

“Men, monsters…” She flipped her hair. “They’re all the same, neither can resist me.” Her voice had returned to its usual sticky quality. I watched her for a few seconds as she hummed softly to the music.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” I said.

“Do what?” She looked at me quizzically.

“The fake confidence to cover up your insecurities,” I said. “I’m literally the king of insecurities. You can’t fool me.”

After a moment of silence, Lexie smiled thinly. “That’s a bold claim,” she said softly.

“It’s not that bold,” I said. “I used to be like you. Ran around hiding in different places, never thought I belonged anywhere. I didn’t think anyone would accept me for who I was. But…” I took a deep breath. “I was wrong. Having a family…a real one. It’s not so bad.”

Outside, unending fields of grass flew past us in a blur. The radio had faded to static. Lexie’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel, as if she was hearing music in her head.

“When we first met,” she said, her voice low. “You called me a demigod. That’s not entirely untrue.”

“You’re a double legacy,” I said. She nodded.

“My parents are Philip and Helena Nolan,” she said. “Former praetors of Rome, Camp Jupiter’s sweethearts. They are the epitome of perfect legionnaires.” She spoke as if she was talking about a political party that she did not support. “Dad’s a son of Apollo. Mom’s a daughter of Mars. The two of them have been famous war heroes since they were your age. They’re retired now, but that hasn’t changed much.”

“The expectations must be high,” I said.

“You don’t even know,” she said. “I mean, they both had a rough childhood, so I know they wanted our lives to be better. Me and me sister, I mean. We grew up in New Rome getting top notch education, enrolling in multiple extracurriculars, basically being raised as the perfect children. Did you know I’ve had three ARCT diplomas since I was twelve? I’m classically trained in voice, piano, and guitar. And my sister, Cassie, she graduated at the top of her class. I would have too if I hadn’t dropped out of school.” She looked troubled. “Nothing’s good enough for my parents though. Their lives were basically an epic. Their definition of meaningful living…it wasn’t just succeeding in school and stuff, it went beyond that. Being something bigger. Serving a larger purpose.”

“Roman praetors obsessed with duty. Surprise, surprise. I’m guessing you weren’t entirely on board with that.” She sighed.

“All I wanted to do was write poetry and play music. They never understood that. Gods…” She laughed humourlessly. “Dad was the one who taught me about literature, you know. He used to read me his writing, stories and verse about his days in the legion. He’s the one who made me want to be who I am now. But at the end of the day, it was just supposed to be a hobby. That’s why I left. Because I’m not my parents. I’m not my sister. I’m not cut out to be a hero.”

“Your sister,” I said. “She was the speaking at the Senate, right?”

“Yeah.” Lexie’s voice was distant. “Perfect Cassie. She always took after Mom. Duty, responsibility, sacrifice, that was always her thing. Joined the legion when she was eight. Now she’s in college at New Rome, working on getting a respectable career worthy of my parents.”

For a while, I just looked at her. Alexa sounded like she had the family that I always wanted. Cool parents, a big sister, a stable home, and plenty of opportunities. But hearing it from her made it sound crushing. As many problems that I had with my dad, at least he didn’t judge me for my choices.

“So?” I said. “Did moving out solve all your problems?”

“For a while,” she said. “I moved to LA when I was fourteen. Went to high school, played gigs in my spare time. It was the good life. And then…” She trailed off.

“And then you met Apollo,” I guessed. She let out a long breath.

“I’ve always loved Apollo,” she said quietly. “I always thought that he’d be the only one to understand me. I wrote him a song when I was in LA.” She paused to smile. “’The Ballad of Apollo’. It was honestly really good. Homeric verse set to a folk-rock melody. Some of my best work. I’ve only performed it once, at a café in San Gabriel. Apollo showed up to listen. I didn’t know it was him, obviously, but he approached me afterwards.”

“What did he say?”

“That he loved my music. And then he told me that I had the potential to be a great hero.” Her voice was casual but lines of worry had appeared on her face. “Then he gave me a weapon and instructed me to use it for good.”

“Yikes,” I said.

“Yeah, it rattled me. But I couldn’t get rid of the bow or the feeling that I had the moral obligation to go back to Camp Jupiter. So I left LA and started hitchhiking across the country in hopes that I could get away from all that for good. And now I never stay in the same place for long.”

There was a long silence. I tried to process everything that she had said. She didn’t want to be a hero. Yet Apollo had basically prophesized that she would. And now here we were.

“You know Apollo is the god of prophecy,” I said finally.

“Of course,” she said. “But he’s wrong about me.”

“He’s not wrong,” I said. “You can run all you want, but you can’t fight the Fates. Trust me, I’ve tried. You’ll always end up in the same place, no matter how many different directions you go. Maybe your family expects a lot from you. But I think deep down, you don’t believe you’re good enough yourself.”

She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I’m just built different. I’m not the heroic type.”

“Everyone is built different,” I said. “We can’t all be the heroic type. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all be heroes. I’ve met people like your parents. Heck, I’ve saved the world with them. And what I’ve learned is that everyone brings different things to the table. That’s my biggest issue with the Romans; you’ve got one path for all, and if you don’t fit in, you’re a failure. But it doesn’t have to be like that. No one should be overlooked.” I thought about my friends at Camp Half-Blood and felt a sadness deep in my chest. “Apollo _chose_ you. Not because of your parents, but because you have what it takes within yourself. You’ve gotta realize that.”

Alexa looked at me for a few seconds before turning her eyes back to the road. “You sound like a motivational speaker,” she said.

“Please don’t say that. I’m being serious.”

“So am I. I’m glad I met you. And I’m glad that if we’re going to be all heroic, it’s out here in Arkansas with this random Ford Focus instead of standing in troops decked out in armour.”

“We’re in Oklahoma now,” I said. “We passed the state line a few minutes ago.” She shot me a look. “I mean, I’m glad too. You’re pretty annoying, but I’m happy you’re here.” She laughed, a hint of a spark returning to her voice. “Can I see your bow?” She pulled out her bow pin and handed it to me.

“Careful, if you hold it too long, it might start to sizzle,” she said. I turned the golden pin in my hand. It was expertly crafted with Imperial Gold, with all the fine detailing shrunk down to the size of a golden drachma. I had seen a lot of interesting weapons before, but I couldn’t seem to pick out anything special about the bow. “What did you call it? Sunfire?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Apollo told me it’s just energy from the sun.”

“I’m not sure Apollo fully understood what he was giving you. He has no idea what he’s doing most of the time,” I said, examining it closely. “But I have a feeling that it’s important to the quest. To saving…” My voice trailed off as I thought about my dream. All this information, yet I was still as confused as ever. What did all these things have to do with each other? I felt myself going into a panic.

And then Alexa spoke. “This Will character,” she said. “You love him, don’t you?”

Immediately, all my thoughts fell away. The only thing that remained was Will. His kindness, his hospitality, the care that he showed towards me when he didn’t even know me. He had opened the door for me to settle at Camp Half-Blood. The only reason I had a home was because he let me in. Now all the kids who had whispered about me in the past were my family.

“You don’t have to answer that,” said Lexie. I realized I’d just been sitting there in silence for a long time.

“Sorry,” I said. She shrugged. “Are you okay to keep driving? I can ask my zombie driver to take over.”

“No, thank you,” she said. “I would prefer to not have a reanimated corpse take us down the interstate.”

We rode in silence after that. Too much had been said for us to have any easy conversation. We entered into the Oklahoma City limits at around three in the morning and decided to stop for the night. Lexie pulled into an empty parking lot at the outskirts of the city.

For a while, we sat in dark, staring at the sky. The stars were shining brightly above us. I felt awkward and distanced, but I knew that we couldn’t continue like that if we were going to accomplish our quest.

“You remind me of Will,” I said. Alexa had tipped back her seat and was curled up like a cat. She tilted her head to look over at me.

“I have a feeling that’s a compliment,” she murmured.

“It’s neither here nor there,” I said. “He’s a son of Apollo, you know. The most intense embodiment of the sun I’ve ever met. And he’s a doctor.”

“He sounds impressive.”

“He is. But he doesn’t think so. He’s always insecure about the fact that he’s not much good at fighting.” I laughed, because I knew that otherwise I would cry. “He’s like, a literal perfect person. But he always talks about how he’s not as strong as the others, calling himself useless, stupid crap like that.”

“I’m sure you’ve done that a few times yourself,” said Lexie.

“Guess we’re all self-hating losers here,” I said. She laughed and closed her eyes. I tried not to watch, but she looked so peaceful. Soon, her breathing slowed and her fidgeting hands went still. For the first time, I felt like I was seeing her for who she was – just a lost kid like me. I took a deep breath, opened the door as quietly as I could, and slipped out of the car.

I always found that I functioned the best in the dead hours of the night. There was no blinding sun getting in the way, no noise, no one to bother you. Just wonderful darkness. It covered me like a blanket, making me invisible. I felt safe.

I sat on a hill outside the city, surrounded by long grass waving in the wind. Despite everything, I felt strangely peaceful. The stars were beautiful, and the moon was a thin sliver of a crescent hanging lazily in the sky. I leaned back slowly and rested my head in the grass. Things had gotten intense with Lexie. I cared deeply about her, but as always, I found it difficult to be vulnerable.

I thought about Will again. His sweeping blond hair. His soft blue eyes. My chest started to ache, and I scowled. There he was again, disturbing my peace. It was maddening how such a laid-back and temperate boy could cause so many problems. I shut my eyes for a moment.

“This is nice. Where are we, Kansas?”

“You’re not really here,” I said. Next to me, Will stretched out his legs and yawned.

“And you should be sleeping,” he chided softly. “I’m always telling you, Death Boy, these are prime growing hours.”

“I can’t believe you’re lecturing me in my own hallucination,” I snapped.

“And _I_ can’t believe I’ve been gone for three days and you’ve already run off with a pretty girl.”

“That’s not what this is.”

“Hmm. And that smoking hot college boy, what was that?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Nico…” Will leaned towards me. “Are you feeling _guilty_?” I stared at him, my face flushed. _This is just my subconscious speaking to me._ I shut my eyes again.

“I want to talk to you,” I said. “The real you.”

“And say what, di Angelo? You haven’t been able to talk to me properly for weeks.”

“I…” I gritted my teeth and turned away. “Leave me.” The wind whistled around me. I was alone.

Or so I thought. Apparently, it wasn’t really safe to be out in the fields of Oklahoma in the middle of the night. As I battled to rid myself of the overwhelming feelings that were plaguing me, it had slipped my mind that I was completely exposed. A low growl rumbled over the plain and I sat up so fast, I nearly snapped my back.

About twenty feet away from me, crouched low in the grass, was an enormous red wolf, teeth bared and ready to kill.


End file.
